RISING TRIBES

being a learning tree

“Unfortunately we learned in school that learning is locked up in books and reading is the only way to get to it. It’s not. It’s free. We’re surrounded by it. We just need to relearn how to recognize it in its wild state.” –Joyce Kurtak Fetteroll

trees are the metaphor of our life as a family.  i grew up on one, climbing, hugging, picking fruit on them, my partner was all about them, getting lost on a tree when ever he could.  and our children, well, they just came as trees.  asking us in their own subtle spiritual way to address them as such.  and since, since our coming to be as a family, trees have dictated the way we live our lives in this earth. earlier on, and i mean when Ceiba was a womb being still, we talked about homeschooling.  both of us were clear that schooling was a disservice to spiritual evolution, to the holistic development of a human being.  there was so much at stake when we thought of the journey ahead of us.  and our focus, our values, they all lead to a unified tribe that empowered each individual to their full potential (spirit, mind, body, soul).  school didn’t fit into that focus.

learning tree was born when Ceiba turned 4.  after a six month period where we gave school a try, all my doubts and  fears about what i was keeping my child from faded.  i was convinced that homeschooling was the way to go. so she stopped going.   after meditating on it for a while, i really felt that creating an environment where the child can find her/his true self, be in full love of that self, and learn from that place, he/she would  radiate that love to all that is external,  and then from that place build relationships, be of service.  so we gave it a go, we built learning tree inside our home.  the living room  was transformed into an oasis of imagination, recycled useful/inspiring toys from the free store began to fill baskets.  the book shelf was turned into an art shelf  filled with recycled art supplies, the walls got covered in art, nature was brought into our home from our nature walks, we held a circus day, learning tree with friends, piñata workshop, we lived learning at every moment.  each relationship we had  with each other and with friends we kept honest, loving, fun.  (note that we have moved  our living room learning tree in Cortes Island to the corner of our bedroom in Newark).

let me interject here and say that learning for us as parents, has never been about “success” as society would describe.  we are not trying to “mold”  high IQ kids, we are not trying to “mold” anything at all.  we see ourselves as the earth around the tree, we hold access to minerals, water, mycelium, but the roots of the tree, the tree itself does the magic.  the tree knows what it needs at what moment, and it knows exactly how to get it, and use it, and as it uses it, it creates, as it creates it is of service to its external environment.  do you think the tree thinks “i need to be successful! i must turn all these minerals and sunlight into oxygen and make sure i live long and make the most beautiful leaves, and flowers, and be the best tree ever, and get all kinds of awards for it.”  truly, i don’t know what a tree thinks (at least not yet, i’m working on it)  but in my heart observation of tree life, i’ve noticed and perceived that trees are in total serenity with what they are here to do, and just do it, because they trust their inner intelligence and use it to its full potential, every second of their lives.  and that is what i have seen our children do every second of their lives.  and i have also seen how society can be quick to suffocate the perfect and beautiful inner genius in us all. starting from the way we learn to see ourselves.

learning tree is  the inner genius blooming.  and in our every day life since we made the commitment to follow our conviction, we have worked towards creating an environment that allows for that to inner genius  to blossom, in each of us.  it ain’t easy let me tell you.  there was much to undo, specially for me.  coming from being an educator, working with youth, and always thinking about what curriculum to come up with next, i really had to learn to let go of controlling process and outcome.  that is when i began my research on unschooling, self design, self-directed learning, etc.  i was hungry  for tools that would help be undo some of my control on the education of our children and embrace with trust who they are, and what they are here to do.  doubt always creeps in to my busy chattering mind, but…it is always kept in check by one of the childrens’ inner genius moments.

what does our learning tree environment look like?  on a daily basis i have to say that its rooted on the freedom to play.  i play, kids play, partner plays.  we play.  one of the bonuses of being a learning tree with children is that you get to be a child all over again!  art is a part of the entire day, creativity comes up at any time, there is always drawing, cooking, making a creative mess, building homes, taking trips, turning the couch into a ferry, and the bed into a train. sewing books for the little brother.  building the most amazing cement mixer out of boxes and papel mache. making a dump truck with a cement mixer on top birthday cake. writing, recording and mixing your own songs.  quilting a four seasons quilt (a project that has taken a year and counting). i can go on.  the learning is guided by what play dictates. play is what children need to do, it is at the very core of our creative being.  it is the essence of creation.  and it is through this joyous acceptance of one’s inner genius that the blossoming takes place.  there are some days that because of running around doing errands, or having a big emotional day, or visiting friends, the energy can get low around here.  however, it is precisely with those moments that we get to know our deepest selves and our encoded rhythms.

Through being learning trees we are also learning to be a family.  We are discovering the rhythm our family needs to live in so that each individual and the collective can thrive.  We eat food that is cooked with care and love, we incorporate our individual needs into everything we do (ok, we try!), we speak to each other with the utmost respect (most of the time, work in progress), we give each individual an equal voice, and the freedom of choice (always there to guide when needed), we take our space alone when we need to, and we are learning together what works and what doesn’t.

About a month ago, doubt came to me again, it was after Ceiba said to me one night “i want to learn how to read.”  i thought to myself, ok, there is only one way i know how to do this.  i thought of all my experiences as a kid learning to read, and  those where i taught others to read; and was convinced that “I” had to do this for her, i had to teach her how to read.  I had met families  that had experienced their children teaching themselves to read, but my “educated” mind was at a loss, doubtful that it would even be possible.   I reached out to communities of unschoolers/homeschoolers that have been of incredible support in my journey (African American Unschoolers and Native American H0meschoolers) and received awesome feedback that supported what my heart believed, to trust that each individual can figure it out.  in the end i accepted: Ceiba can teach herself to read.

i end this post sharing that Ceiba is reading and writing thanks to her very own desire, effort and trust of her inner genius.  what did i do? i got out of the way, and only did anything that she asked me to do.  “mama, spell butterfly,”  “mama, tell me an alphabet story,” “sound it out Ceiba, try” i would add sometimes “no! mom, just spell it!”  it was her inner self directed knowing  that lead her to ask for what she needed.   i am inspired by her inner genius, and  it pushes me to get closer to mine.   we are all learning trees in this tribe, learning each day to live our purpose!  and loving it.

some goodies:

features the article with the quote up top: http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/171/jf_art_unsch.html

Radical Unschoolers: http://familyrun.ning.com/

Sandra Dodd: http://sandradodd.com/unschooling

Loving this blog right now: http://radiofreeschool.blogspot.com/

a nice one about guiding an artist: http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/art-ed-links.html

Becoming Artisans

Little friends of ours, two sisters, are turning 5 and 3 on the same day (yeah talk about sharp calculations).  I asked our 4 year old little friend if she would enjoy a pin~ata for their bday and if so, what kind.  She eagerly requested a unicorn.   Ceiba and I got to work a few weeks ago, and this is the process and final product.

I will add that this has been a learning highlight of our few days here at our Learning Tree. I got to dig in my bank of cultural memory and share stories with Ceiba about being a child in a place like San Cristobal back in the 80’s.  Specifically, we talked about the artisan dedication that is required to be a pin~atero/a.  I shared with her a story about the family that made pin~atas around the corner from our house, friends of ours, about what it was like to watch them work, and how it is through my observations while at their house that I remembered how to make them.

We worked on how to build a vision and design.  We looked for “realistic” images of unicorns, and we found a “real” picture of one.  We used the image  and one of their toy horses as a models, a great technique for her to learn observation, three dimensional design etc.  She saw and part took in the various steps required to build the structure.  She learn to appreciate each step, to learn to be patient as she waited for the next.  To respect the delicate art.  She even exploded with ideas as to how to make this pin~ata magical.   One morning she got out of her bed and came downstairs, and proceeded to gather all kinds of goodies, including pin~ata candy she got from another bday, and she made “pin~ata bags”.  She figured that if she divided equally all the goods and placed them in decorated bags, then everyone would be treated equally, and pain and unfairness would be avoided. She inspired me to make a set of draw string bags with recycled fabric and some of our beads.

I got to say though culturally, pin~atas are the training ground for fighting bullies..it toughened me up!

Presenting the Unicorn:

Living your Truth

I understand now why something like unschooling or let’s call it “living your truth” is so meaningful to humanity.  I have been watching my daughter and my son for the past month intently, observing rather, with patience and focus (two very hard things to do in the midst of everything else that needs to get done!)  However, this has proven to be the most delightful of practices, as well as the most insightful.

I have actually learned a bit about how my children learn, how their mood is affected by their energy, what they eat, how they rested, the weather, etc.  I have even learned that when I support  their own choices about what to do and how to do it, they create a  process of mastery, which I have come to understand as a deep sence of self.   Understanding the self in a holistic way: what can my body do?  how does this make me feel?  what do i need?  what do i want?  how do I meet my needs? and of course I can go on.  It is when we know ourselves in this deep and holistic way that we can achive mastery in our lives.

Back in my teaching/facilitating days at El Puente Leadership Center, the program made mastery one of their values, it achieved this by providing amazing artists to facilitate workshops in the After School program as well as exposing them to people that were masters in their field.  While those areas are just as important, I was also awere that youth who finished the program would find themselves really crippled by the lack of support in their new environments (work, college, etc).  The youth that continued empowered in ther learning experiences were those that trusted their abilities and were determined to reach  their goals after leaving the program.

I find that  as a parent I am priviledged to have the opportunity to observe two human beings become and evolve from themselves, and often find it difficult to back off, to let go of control.  So much so that I often confuse my care and responsibility to them with controling what they do and how they do it.  I guess that is the challenge of all parents, but its hightend for those of us who can learn from home.  It is quite tricky to navigate discipline with the freedom to be, but I have found (mainly from conversations with my partner and trial and error) that it is imperative to be clear about those boundaries.

Often at home you will hear one of the parents say “you don’t always get what you want” when dealing with something like “i want to stay up late tonight,” and I do feel very mixed about that statement.  Historically speaking, humanity has used–and continues to use–power, control and violence to keep folk from getting what they want.  In turn, we turned into a global network of consumers that are constantly spending so much money, specially women, buying stuff to make up for not getting what we wanted as children.  Whether it was love and attention or one more turn in the swing.   By default, parents have “inherited” the responsibility to protect and prepare the child from what she will experience in larger society, which states “you cant get what you want, but buy this instead.”

This is my question, why not understand what is at the root of that “want” and not only understand but actually acknowledge and work together to meet the root need?  All it would take in our example is “why do you feel you would want to stay up late?”  Whe we took this route  ourselves, we found out that our 4 year old is in need of time with her parents, without the constant putting her needs aside or being asked to wait because of her little brother’s needs.  Time where she can be reassured of our love by having healthy attention and care.   Instead of giving her the message that “she doesn’t get what she wants sometimes” she was able to hear, “what you need and want is important, thanks for listening to yourself, and for being able to express it. Since we didn’t plan it for tonight can we make sure to do that tomorrow night?”  Having done that made me much more aware of the fact that I too “wanted a late night with her and my partner!”  we had a blast together being a family.

If we don’t allow ourselves to have a deep connection with our Self,  to “live our truth”  how can we evolve and heal our very hurt society?  Are you living your truth?

Season Quilting

Though this was my idea (not fitting well with my unschooling values) Ceiba has taken her own little spin to this year long project, she is the designer, part seamstress, and bilingual writer of our Four Seasons Quilt. We began in winter and here is part of the process.

Using fabric pastels we found at the local Free Store. She phonetically spelled first and is copying from a piece of paper.

The most exiting part of this project has been spending time in nature and the elements to get a Feel for the season, lots of observation, reflection on our daily experiences.  We also spent a lot of time reading books about snow, this one is one of my favorites.  It helped Ceiba see the amazing world of nature close up, and we learned some cool facts, lots of information in the book for adults, but the images and captions are phenomenal.  She particularly liked counting hexagon snow crystals and was amazed at their perfection.  We learned  lots about hexagons and symmetry, how snow is formed, what temperature and weather factors affect the shape and design and lots more. It was fantastic.

One of the most amazing days we had this winter was going outside on a very cold day after rain, and seeing a thin ice sheet on salal berry leaves, we figured out that we could peel the thin ice sheet and find a perfect print of the leaf on the ice, which made an suculent crunchy cold snack.  We spend almost an hour  carefully peeling off “Salal Leaf Ice Chips”.

Next: Spring! First day today!

SelfDesign

As I continue to expand my horizons around  education and learning, and their relationship to  human development and evolution, I came across this book by Brent Cameron, founder of Wondertree foundation for Natural Learning.  Though I am not quite finished yet, the book is rich in amazing content and extensive research leading Cameron to describe what he has coined as SelfDesign.  A way of experiencing learning from a deep connection with the self, while building healthy relationships with the world around us as a supportive network of incessant information and experiences waiting to unfold as the learner wishes.  Putting the learner at the center of how learning takes place as well as how the learner access support.  It is an awesome addition to anyone who wants to understand  how to better support children and all people reach the depth of their inner genius.  As well as for any educator in or out of education systems who wants to incorporate innovative strategies as part of their daily work.

The book has helped me in numerous ways, not only as a parent who is able and choosing to support my own children’s learning experiences from home, but as an individual, as a learner.   When you really delve deep into your consciousness, you most likely will find a bit of a nebulous dark cloud of experiences related to learning, like that one time you really wanted to experiment with vinegar, water and baking soda at home, but your parent was abhorred at the mess that would have to be cleaned up afterward. Or in my case,  the deep guilt trip from my Catholic schooling of having to confess my sins every Friday to a total stranger, sins like, I stole a piece of candy from my mother’s purse, or I hate my math teacher.  I have questioned myself with all sincerity to discover that the learning experiences that I cherish the most involved my freedom of choice, and a wonderful person to guide me along.  But many, and I mean many, school experiences are not counted on those very seldom “free” moments.  The most “free” I ever felt in school was when I diched out  in 8th grade with my whole class (28 junior high school seamstresses) and went hiking in the mountain across the road, to discover that one classmate was terrified of the woods and thought a leaf touching her leg was a snake, which ended up being a beautiful chance for everyone to show care and team work.

Something that has stuck with me from the book is learning about some  of those considered “geniuses” by society standars, who as children  did “poorly” in school settings.  Mostly because schooling prevented their inner curiosity and inner genius to drive their learning fire.   Instead, being held responsible to perform in a very specific way or left to be clasiffied as a failure.

Granted, there are many new and truly inovative schools out there, some of which I have gotten a chance to work with.  However, as a mother of two children, having gotten the chance to  experience  first hand the genius of nature within us, as it often happens when you see your son go from crawling to taking his first steps, I am a firm believer and advocate of releasing and supporting each human beings full potential.  And believe me, every day  is so much work to constantly provide the amount of patience, clarity of mind, presense, availability  needed to fully focus and support one individual.  It is no wonder why educators can only do “so much” in their classrooms.  It is quite an endless task.

After reading this book, I am better able to let go of some control, wanting to create curriculums for my childrens’ education at home etc, and instead allow  them to choose what they want to learn, and position myself as a resource who can also access other resources to support their inquisitive curiosity.

Today, our 4 year old daughter decided that she wanted to teach others how to learn to hoola-hop (which she learned from watching an amazing hoola-hoop acrobat in Cirque de Soleil’s “Alegria“).  So she cut some construction paper, sew the pages together with needle and thread, and drew stick figures showing each step.  My concluding thoughts right for now are, if children are allowed and supported (and adults for that matter), they can reach within,  with focus and attentive awareness, and manifest in action their full potiential,  as a result producing a purposefull being, who is at peace with their creative process.  Isn’t that what we need in this next stage of humanity anyways?  Don’t we have a whole lot of a mess to deal with created by the enslaved greedy minds of hurt humanity?

I am supporting 2, how about you?